New ambassador team headed for downtown

They'll have red shirts, positive attitudes and more night hours.

They'll have red shirts, positive attitudes and more night hours.

March 12, 2006|JAMIE LOO Tribune Staff Writer

SOUTH BEND -- Although they're dressed in red and sport the letter "I" on their arms, they have nothing to do with Indiana University. Unless you ask them for directions to IUSB. Then the new Downtown South Bend Inc. ambassadors can help. DTSB just signed a one-year contract with Block by Block for a new downtown ambassadors program. Laura Guy, DTSB executive director said the company based out of Louisville, Ky., provides "clean and safe" programs for cities across the country. The "clean and safe" approach combines hospitality and downtown cleanup, Guy said. Along with providing information, ambassadors will work on beautification projects. "They'll be cleaning up graffiti, getting gum off the sidewalks, cleaning alleys," Guy said. The six ambassadors will use DTSB's maintenance truck with a high-pressured water washer for much of this work. The ambassadors also will be responsible for putting up downtown holiday decorations. The former yellow-shirted ambassadors were trained in hospitality but didn't have to do cleanup. Guy said downtown cleanup and beautification was done by outside contractors and cost about $350,000. The Block by Block program with both services will cost only $250,000. Block by Block ambassadors are also in Columbus and Cincinnati, Ohio; Louisville, Ky.; and Nashville, Tenn. Two of the ambassadors will patrol downtown on bikes all the way up to Memorial Hospital. The hours for the program have also changed, Guy said. Ambassadors will be seen around downtown Monday through Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Thursday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. "We're trying to have more ambassadors in the evening than ever before," she said. All of the ambassadors will be local people, and Guy said they're still hiring. DTSB said they're looking for a bilingual ambassador and people with positive attitudes. "We're hiring for personality more than anything," she said. Staff writer Jamie Loo: jloo@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6337